The discourse around modern Hollywood is so fraught, that it can be refreshing to delve into a work that doesn’t carry any additional baggage. A familiar IP from Walt Disney wouldn’t be my first guess for such a work, but Zootopia 2 arrives with not just enough time elapsed from its predecessor to make audiences wistful for a return to the franchise, but seemingly not much in the way of behind-the-scenes drama, media controversy, or toxic discourse online. It’s a movie that just gets to be a movie, and it’s a fine one with a fine script.
Not much has changed since 2016’s Zootopia, as we’re reintroduced to plucky cop (and rabbit) Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), who’s fresh off of cracking a government conspiracy. Now she and her frenemy, the sly fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), are partners at the ZPD. It isn’t long before Judy and Nick, fresh off the high of their predator-saving exploits in the original, uncover yet another elaborate conspiracy, one this time designed to sully the reputations of snakes as deadly creatures. But Judy and Nick’s unusual friendship, at times bordering on the romantic, and featuring Nick’s inability to fully embrace Judy’s rambunctious persona, proves to be a crucial flaw holding back this partnership. Thus, the sly fox faces a bout with maturity that questions just how big of a friend he can really be, while Judy’s self esteem and self-worth begins to hinge on this budding partnership.
For anyone who’s seen the original Zootopia, the sequel has a very familiar plot, once again dealing with public manipulation of the image of certain creatures. In fact, the original’s conflict is perhaps of deeper consequence, as it’s social metaphors were more broad and, thus, more universal. Here, the stakes are lower – but that may be part of the point – that not all dilemmas need to be of world-ending consequence in order to be compelling or worthy of empathy in the audience. The story here sees a group of snakes looking to fight prejudice and clear their reputation. Admittedly, some of these scenes are a bit cheesy in execution, steering too close to a “PBS Kids” sensibility, but their dilemma is well told through the narrative. Byron Howard returns as co-director, this time partnering with Jared Bush, and their film moves at a blistering pace. You can chalk this up to the sequel not having to explain so much world-building this time around, thus leaving more room for jokes, sight gags, and a well-earned showing off of some gorgeous animation.
This fast-paced speed isn’t for everyone, and one can be forgiven for thinking the editing is just too fast. I’ve likened this style as the Illumination brand of animation – not that the studio invented it, but films produced by Illumination have certainly come to be known for a similar editing pace with a gag a minute to not risk boring their younger audiences. This style has its drawbacks, but Zootopia 2 fares better handling it than a lot of Illumination’s fare, possibly because it has a sturdier/more focused plot as its foundation, along with a empathetic connection between the film’s two leads as the narrative’s centerpiece.
In addition, Goodwin and Bateman bring their A game, and have a natural chemistry as both voice talents as well as on-screen furries. Zootopia’s storytelling techniques are simplistic by design, easy to understand by a multitude of audiences and across language barriers, and that is partially accomplished through easily defined visual storytelling. One such plot device centers around a pen that’s shaped like a carrot, and it’s an effective visual signifier of both Judy’s innocence, and her efforts to try to form connection with Nick. And when said pen ends up in jeopardy, it signifies the relationship of our protagonists, the journey they’ve been on, and how what’s at stake regarding that partnership may be coming to a crescendo.
The film, while not perfect, just effectively comes off as likable. Both the world-building and the characters are easy to tag along with, easy to get lost in this world, as the runtime feels like a breeze. By the end, the movie climaxes with one of the more memorable third acts in an animated feature in the last few years, including a fun visual reference of a movie most kids won’t be able to recall, but effectively juxtaposes a comedic energy with a faux horror vibe that gives the scene an almost whimsical silliness.
The movie’s narrative lessons aren’t groundbreaking, and we exist at a time where it’s more transparent than ever how much the people produce these stories actually practice what they preach. But the film itself is hopeful, well-constructed, and brimming with colorful and chaotic energy. You know, the type of vibe that can appeal to any audience, as is expected.
